Landon Donovan and the U.S. team have put the controversy of their previous match behind them to focus on the upcoming match with Algeria.

WEDNESDAY'S SCENARIOS

USA Advances and Wins Group Win by a greater goal difference than England wins by Win and England win by same goal differential while the U.S. maintains its +2 goals scored advantage Win by two or more goals and England-Slovenia tie Win by one goal and England-Slovenia tie while scoring more goals than Slovenia

USA AdvancesU.S. win U.S. tie and England loss Tie and England-Slovenia tie, and the U.S. maintains its +2 goals scored advantage over England

USA EliminatedU.S. tie and England win Lose

By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY

PRETORIA, South Africa  The U.S. soccer team is a multicultural bunch. In the past two days, three players have answered questions in German, Spanish and French with ease. Most of the players have well-worn passports and earn a living overseas. Though they might be citizens of the world, they hope to continue as residents of this World Cup.

The Americans don't want to leave the world stage just when everyone is taking notice. The responsibility of growing the game in the USA and the attention received back home following a referee's controversial decision makes the moment even more opportune.

The USA will advance to the knockout phase if it beats Algeria Wednesday (10 a.m. ET, ESPN). The Americans could also advance with a draw if England loses to Slovenia or if England ties and the USA maintains its two-goal advantage.

In the 2006 World Cup, the Americans entered the final game of the group stage in similar circumstances against another African opponent. A win against Ghana would have sent them to the round of 16. Instead, a 2-1 loss sent them home.

Midfielder Landon Donovan, playing in his third World Cup, sees this team as a more resilient bunch. "The two World Cups I'd been a part of, we hadn't strung together three consecutive good results," he said. "I think this team has the experience and the ability to do that."

It also seems that this group can't play 90 minutes without drama. Slow starts have been the team's specialty. "Being down 2-0 with your World Cup on the line is a difficult and daunting task, but the way we've been hardened over the years made that possible," Donovan said.

In the wake of the disallowed goal controversy in the Slovenia game, a veteran referee, Belgian Frank De Bleeckere, was assigned to Wednesday's match.

U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said the players have put the emotions of the Slovenia game behind them. "We're not going to worry about any calls or anything like that getting us down," he said. "We had a good second half, and hopefully we can continue with that momentum."

Algeria, which needs to win to advance to the knockout round for the first time in its history, has shown that it can handle pressure. The team advanced to its first World Cup in 24 years by beating Egypt in a contentious one-match playoff.

The Desert Foxes could become the first African team to advance in the tournament. "We have a great deal of responsibility representing the hopes" of the continent, Algeria coach Rabah Saadane said. "We are also representing the Arab world."

Given this global sport, Bocanegra fittingly ended Tuesday's news conference by responding to a question in French. In any language, the message was clear. "We have a great chance to get a win and advance on to the second round," he said.

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